The 10 Best-Dressed Movie Characters of 2018

And how to dress like them without looking foolish

By Danny Agnew

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22 February 2019

Regardless of how one feels about this year’s Oscar race (our Editor in Chief’s opinion is well-documented), one fact cannot be denied: the films of 2018 featured a veritable smorgasbord of characters with, shall we say, strong sartorial chops.

So here they are, our 10 nominees (plus one bonus), along with a few recommendations on how to inject some of their vestiary panache into your own wardrobe.

And the award goes to ...

Bradley Cooper as Jackson Maine in A Star is Born

The Fit: Cooper’s Maine has rugged style down so hard that we wrote an entire article about it. And for our money, his most idiot-proof-cool ensemble is this simple combo of tan denim jacket, grey tee, black jeans and cowboy boots. The more weathered across the board the better (urine stains not included).

The Fit: While we cannot co-sign Dr. Don’s mock turtleneck, we’re big fans of the actual turtleneck under a blazer, especially with such a strong combo of color coordination and in-your-face pattern. Legendary piano chops are on you to sort out.

The Fit: A weathered denim jacket over a white tee is always a crispy look, but the addition of shearling and a couple beaded necklaces takes Killmonger’s introductory ensemble to the next level. Also doesn’t hurt to be, you know, insanely shredded underneath.

The Fit: We’ve long been staunch supporters of the short-sleeve “sweater polo,” and Stallworth’s stylish number was a great reminder that a long-sleeved version is every bit as cool and twice as unexpected. Especially when you button it all the way up and throw some neck hardware on top.

The Fit: Don’t know if it’s denim or linen or if it even matters, but dammit if Billy Lee’s embroidered snap-front hippie cowboy shirt didn’t have us wanting to re-evaluate our diet, double down on the situps/pushups and rock that baby all the way open all summer long. (Ed. note: for those looking to achieve even an approximation of Hemsworth bod, it bears noting that he’s just launched his own fitness app with advice and tips from his cabal of pro coaches and dieticians.)

The Fit: In an effort to stay faithful to the source material, Beale Street costume designer Caroline Eselin-Schaefer pulled Fonny's buffalo-check jacket based on a description straight out of James Baldwin’s novel. And the much storied plaid pops every bit as much today as it did in 1970s Harlem (or the 1870s American West, or 1670s Scotland, for that matter).

The Fit: A shearling coat (especially one with a big collar) is just such an amazing statement piece ... the statement usually being “I’m the kind of guy who gives very few f*cks.” Paired with some lightly-tinted aviators, doubly so.

The Fit: Possibly the only redeeming feature of this film is noted menswear aficionado Reilly’s commitment to classic English tailoring — tweed on tweed is a boss look, especially with contrasting (but complimentary) patterns. Bonus points for the leather driving gloves.

The Fit: Our man Sundance is the only cat on the list to get two looks, primarily because even at the ripe old age of 82 he’s still proving that both a well-tailored three-piece and a suede/denim combo are menswear staples that will never, ever go out of style.

The Fit: Ok admittedly this one is a joke, but if you’re going to aggressively pound vodka straight from the bottle and then go on a murderous rampage to avenge your girlfriend’s murder at the hands of an LSD-guzzling satanic biker cult, you probably couldn’t pick a better getup than this.